I am *so* one of those crazy dog people. I love my little dog to pieces. I admit that I totally dig the way in Europe you can take your dogs many more places, including restaurants, than you can here. I mean, my dog will sit politely at my feet while drinking her water and eating her food. No harm to anyone. Anyway, being as crazy a dog person as I am you'll be surprised not at all to know I'm looking terribly forward to Dog Day in the Park at Slugger Field. I mean come on, I get to bring my dog and it's a fundraiser for the Kentucky Humane Society? Sold.

Four-legged and two-legged fans are invited to come watch the Louisville Bats play on April 16 from a special VIP Section at Louisville Slugger Field! The Louisville Bats will host DOG DAY IN THE PARK to help raise money for needy animals at the Kentucky Humane Society. The best part - you can bring your dog for a fun-filled evening at the ballpark!

$3/dog and $6/person

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 7PM (Gates open @ 6 p.m.)
Louisville Slugger Field

Space is limited, so order your tickets now! Click here to download a PDF order form, or call (502) 212-BATS to order your tickets by phone.

This weekend is the last home bout for quite some time for the Derby City Roller Girls. Advance tickets are on sale now so hurry about and get yours before they sellout again. From the press release:

Louisville's women's flat track roller derby league, the Derby City Rollergirls, will play their last home bout of the Spring Meet on April 5th, against the Cincinnati Rollergirls. The bout will take place on DCRG's home turf, the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center's West Hall (937 Phillips Lane), and will be the last chance to see them play at home until late July.

DCRG is 1-1 in inter-league play this season so far, having handily defeated the Rollergirls of Southern Indiana (ROSI) in February but then were beat by a slim margin in a hard-fought battle against the Blue Ridge Rollergirls of Asheville, NC two weekends ago. Cincinnati is a daunting opponent, but DCRG is ready to rumble; it will no doubt be an action-packed match-up that fans won't want to miss.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the bout will start at 7 p.m. Seating is General Admission. The event is all-ages and family-friendly, though rink-side "suicide seats" are reserved for 18+ due to safety concerns. DCRG's official DJ Kim Sorise will be spinning music before and during the bout; intermission entertainment is TBA. As always, the league will have all their branded merchandise for sale, including stickers, buttons, patches, posters, t-shirts and other apparel.

Advance tickets are on sale now for $11 (plus service fee). Tickets may be purchased at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) Ticket Office or any Ticketmaster outlet, by phone (502-361-3100 or 1-800-487-1212), or online via Ticketmaster.com. Tickets at the door on the day of the event will cost $16, if any remain. Advance purchase is highly recommended, as the last two bouts have both sold out.

After the bout, DCRG players will meet-and-greet at the official after-party at the Monkey Wrench (1025 Barret Ave @ Winter). Bout attendees get in free with their ticket stubs and there's a suggested $3 donation at the door for all others, with proceeds going to Kosair Children's Hospital. DJ Kim Sorise will again provide musical entertainment.

It's a long wait until March 22. That's when the next Derby City Roller Girls home bout is. To tide you over until then DCRG is throwing an open skate party this Sunday February 24, 2008. Open Skate: Broken Hearts & Body Parts gives you the opportunity to roll around the rink with all your favorite Roller Girls. DJ Kim Sorise will be spinning so it's going to be nothing but a good time all the way around.

Open Skate: Broken Hearts & Body Parts
Sunday February 24, 2008
5:30pm - 8pm
$5 at the door

Treo Roller Rink
721 Gagel Avenue
Louisville, KY

The Derby City Roller Girls kick off their second season next Saturday February 2, 2008 at their new venue the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center's West Hall. To get the scoop on roller derby in general and the new season we went straight to the source and Derby City Roller Girl Fae Goodman gave us all the dirt.

What's your Roller Derby name?
My name's  MaMalicious (#67).  All roller derby skaters have a derby name, which is often a pun, a take off on some pop culture icon, or a local or literary reference.  The hard part is, there's a centralized registry for derby names, and each one needs to be original.  With thousands of skaters, that can be pretty hard.  We've actually got two Mama's in our league (and many many mothers, probably about 1/3 of the league).  I'm the mean one!  I'm always amazed by the cleverness of derby names.  For us, some local favorites are Maul St. Matthews and Dixie Dieway.

Briefly, describe Roller Derby for someone who has never seen or experienced it
Well, some people describe it as rugby at high speed on roller skates.  It's a full contact sport, and we wear only minimal  padding on knees, wrists, and elbows, plus a helmet and mouthguard.  There are two basic positions, jammer and blocker.  Four blockers from each team form the pack.  When the first whistle blows, the pack takes off, followed shortly by one jammer from each team.  The jammers try to fight their way through the pack.  After their first pass, each skater passed legally on the opposing team is a point.  Their own team's blockers are trying to assist them through the pack, while the opposing team is trying to stop them, often by knocking them down and out of the track.  It can be a little difficult to understand just from a description. The Gem City Rollergirls have a great animation on youtube that helps, I think. 

The short form description is women skating fast in short skirts and knocking one another down.  With beer.

After kicking ass and taking names last year The Derby City Roller Girls begin their second season on February 2, 2008 with a bout at their new competition home, the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center's West Hall. After such a successful first year the DCRG had to upgrade venues to accommodate more carnage, more spectators and really just more awesomeness in general.

Prior to the home opener though you've got a chance to meet, greet and skate with The Derby City Roller Girls. On Sunday, January 20th, 2008 from 5pm - 8pm at Treo Roller Rink it's Open Skate. $5, which benefits DCRG, gets you in the door. You'll be able to meet the roller girls, have your photos taken with them and get your 2008 DCRG Calendar signed by all your favorite players! You don't have said calendar yet? No sweat. They are available for purchase at Nitty Gritty, Highland Chiropractic, Derby City Espresso and Treo Roller Rink, for $18.

Derby City Roller Girls Open Skate

Treo Roller Rink
721 Gagel
Louisville, KY

Other than the occasional snide comment about how much this football season has sucked if you're a University of Louisville fan, like I of course am, I've pretty much stayed away from the pitchfork carrying crowds chanting "Kragthorpe sucks." However, if, at the 3PM news conference the University of Louisville has called Kragthorpe announces he's leaving the school, before we actually get the chance to fire him for sucking, then I'll be pulling the pitchfork up out of the basement and chanting really, really loudly.

Update 3:16PM: Kragthorpe says "I'm not going anyplace."

An interesting photography exhibit is running through December 15, 2007 at the Muhammad Ali Center.

Featuring fascinating photos of Muhammad Ali at the pinnacle of his career, this special exhibition offers an intimate look at the Louisville icon through the lens of internationally acclaimed photographer Sonia Katchian. A select collection of 41 photos were chosen from Sonia’s thousands of Ali images. The exhibit includes major fight photos that were originally published in Sports Illustrated and Sport magazine in the 1970's as well as dozens of behind-the-scenes photos of the Champ that illustrate the softer, personable side of Muhammad. The black and white images of Ali were taken in locations all over the world with his family, friends and other close companions. Most of the photos have had little public exposure.

Hours:
9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday – Saturday
12 noon - 5 p.m. Sunday

Admission:
Exhibition is included with regular admission to the Ali Center.

$9 adults
$8 seniors (65+)
$5 students and military
$4 children (6-12)
Members and children ages 5 and under are free

It's a little early to be talking about a race that isn't until March and whose website hasn't even been updated for the 2008 version yet. However several months ago I decided I wanted to run a 5K in the Spring. Over the past year and a half I've lost a very significant amount of weight and become a pretty active person. One of the things I've been looking forward to during my transition to a much healthier lifestyle was getting to a point where I could start training to run a 5K. I reached that point a few months ago and I begun training in earnest. Training was slow at first but it's more intense and focused now, enough so that I feel comfortable naming the first 5K race that I'm actually going to run.

Picking the race was actually harder than I thought. There aren't a lot of races during the winter and a lot of races that I thought "hey that sounds like a good charity race to support" are longer than 5K. Finally though I found the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic. It's the first leg in the "Louisville Triple Crown of Running." It's on March 1 and I'm in. Saying it in public means I have to follow through right?

If training goes well this month and next the Anthem 5K may not be my first race though. I'm looking at the Reindeer Romp 4K in December. I feel pretty confident that I'll be to a comfortable running 4K in early December.

Wish me well when you see me running through the Highlands sweating like a fool as I train. I'm really excited.

The Derby City Roller Girls will be hitting the hard wood in the season ending intra-league throw down between the Jackie O' Nasties and The Red Menace Sunday September 9th at Treo Roller Rink.

If you were not there for the carnage that ensued on August 12th you missed The Hard Knox Roller Girls defeating the Derby City Roller Girls 108-82. Louisville's very own Derby City Roller Girls played their best defensive game to date even with Gretal Von Slap being taken down in the second quarter with bruised ribs... she'll be returning for the Throw Down in September.

Details for September's bout are as follows:

Derby City Roller Girls Present
The Final Throw Down
Jackie O' Nasties vs. The Red Menace
Sunday, September 9th
Doors at 6p / Bout at 7p
Treo Roller Rink (formerly Champs on Manslick)
721 Gagel Ave • Louisville Kentucky
Tickets can be purchased online at derbycityrollergirls.com for $10 or at the door for $15

The Derby City Roller Girls, though they don't know me, must love me because they come up with things like "The Nightmare Before Christmas In July" that bring me so much joy.

From the press release

With an outrageous theme that's one part Halloween, one part Christmas, and all roller derby, all the time, Louisville's own Derby City Rollergirls return to flat-track action at 7pm on Sunday July 8th at Treo Roller Rink (721 Gagel Ave., formerly Champs on Manslick), hosting Cleveland's Burning River Rollergirls in the league's first double-header, "The Nightmare Before Christmas in July." Both DCRG league teams, The Jackie O'Nasties and The Red Menace, will compete, playing two all-star travel teams from the Burning River Rollergirls' league. Each bout of the double-header will consist of two twenty-minute periods; tickets cover admission to both bouts of the double-header.

For the first time, advance tickets will be available locally at area businesses the Atomic Saucer and the Why Louisville Store for $10 (cash only). Advance tickets can also be purchased online for $10 plus service fee, or they will be $15 at the door (cash only). Doors at Treo open at 6pm, and the first bout of the double-header starts at 7pm sharp. Seating is General Admission. The event is all-ages and family-friendly, though rink-side "suicide seats" are reserved for 18+ due to safety concerns. Bout music will be provided by DCRG team DJ Kim Sorise, and the league will have all their branded merchandise for sale, from stickers, patches, and posters to t-shirts and tanks - including the new team shirts for The Red Menace and The Jackie O'Nasties.

In keeping with the "Christmas In July" portion of the theme, DCRG will be collecting money and toys for the Toys For Tots program. Everyone who brings a toy will get a free DCRG bumper sticker, and cash contributions will also be greatly appreciated.

After the bout, DCRG players will meet-and-greet at the official after-party at the Monkey Wrench (1025 Barret Ave @ Winter). There's a suggested $5 donation at the door, with all proceeds going to Toys For Tots, plus DCRG drink specials and DJ Kim Sorise behind the decks.

If you can't wait until the upcoming bout on July 8th to see your Derby City Rollergirls, you can catch the DCRG out at the Germantown Shotgun Festival this Saturday, June 30th, from noon til 9pm, East Oak Street at Swan (behind the Atomic Saucer). This free neighborhood festival will feature food, live music, arts/crafts and other activities - see their website ( http://www.myspace.com/gtownfest) for a complete schedule of events. DCRG will have a booth with all their merch, bout posters, advance tickets and more.

I played a little golf in high school with my Dad. Golf conjures up so many stereotypes and images that it's hard to look at it as just a fun little game that let's you walk around a pretty green field for a couple hours. I've been thinking I might want to take up playing again because I'm always looking to integrate more sports and activities into my life. Play Golf Louisville seems like a perfect opportunity to check it out and see if I have any real interest in it or not.

Play Golf Louisville
Seneca Golf Course
Saturday, June 16, 2007
12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Come learn more about the sport of golf!

• Free giveaways and discounts
• Free individual lessons from the pros
• Club demos and fittings

For Additional Information:
Seneca Golf Course
2300 Pee Wee Reese Road, 40205
Phone: 458-9298

With a title like that you have to be intrigued. Unfortunately our hometown Derby City Roller Girls suffered a defeat at the hands of the Indianapolis club last month. So now it's time for a little pay back.

Last month, DCRG's all-star travel team made their season debut on the road in Indianapolis in "The Bourbon Brawl," competing valiantly against the Tornado Sirens. Despite their strong efforts, however, DCRG suffered defeat in front of 3000 loyal Naptown fans. Now it's time to turn the tables on Naptown and fill Treo with screaming DCRG fans! Entitled "The Bluegrass Strikes Back," the bout will give DCRG a chance to show off the skills they've learned in their first two bouts, and promises to be a thrilling match-up between the two leagues. Naptown beware!!

After the bout, DCRG players will meet-and-greet at the official after-party at the Monkey Wrench (1025 Barret Ave @ Winter). There's a suggested $5 donation at the door, with all proceeds going to The Kentucky Humane Society, plus special DCRG drink specials and DJ Kim Sorise behind the decks.

Sunday June 10, 7PM
Treo Roller Rink (721 Gagel Ave - formerly Champs on Manslick)

Kick ass local Derby City Rollergirls need volunteers for their season home opener next Sunday May 20.

The DCRG need lots of volunteers to put on a production of that size. Duties available include: ticket sales; passing out programs; taking tickets; merchandise sales; "suicide seat" enforcer (seats on the floor of the rink are only available to 18+ year-olds, due to safety concerns); general set up and take down. There may be more as the event grows closer - the list is growing every day!

The DCRG need lots of volunteers to put on a production of that size. Duties available include: ticket sales; passing out programs; taking tickets; merchandise sales; "suicide seat" enforcer (seats on the floor of the rink are only available to 18+ year-olds, due to safety concerns); general set up and take down. There may be more as the event grows closer - the list is growing every day!

Derby City Rollergirls Want You!! (To volunteer, that is!) on Craig's List